Ivy, a tale of cottage life

Front matter

I V Y A TALE OF COTTAGE LIFE. "Far out on the horizon she could see the fishing boats." I V Y A TALE OF COTTAGE LIFE. BY SILAS K. HOCKING, F.R.H.S. Ivy at Home. LONDON : FREDERICK WARNE AND CO., BEDFORD STREET, STRAND. I V Y A TALE OF COTTAGE LIFE BY SILAS K. HOCKING, F.R.H.S. AUTHOR OF "HER BENNY," "HIS FATHER,' "ALEC GREEN," "hehdyford," BTC, ETC. WITH ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS BY W. GUNSTON. LONDON : FREDERICK WARNE AND CO BEDFORD STREET, STRAND. SJungaj) : CLAY AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE The Reader is Introduced to some of the Principal Characters of the I. Story i n. Ivy is Troubled about many Things 12 James Stewart goes to see the " Other Side" of Life 26 in. iv. Jack Winchester is the Bearer of Evil Tidings 39 v. Fred Stewart Asserts his Authority 50 vi. One Sinner becomes a Warning to Another 61 vn.

Mr. Jeremiah Swift Airs his Opinions 72 viii. The Peas get above the Sticks 84 ix. Mr. Jeremiah Swift is of Opinion that HE HAS BEEN MADE A FOOL OF ... 95 x. Ned manifests an Appreciation of Christmas Cheer 106 xi. "Stray Coppers" Purchase a Holiday 118 xii. A Prodigal Returns, but not Repentant CONTENTS. CHAP. XIII, PAGE Ivy gets an Idea and Acts upon it ... 140 xiv. Northhaven is Greatly Excited ... 149 xv. Uncle Jeff has a '"Sentiment" and Communicates it 161 Mrs. Squibbles Tries an Experiment and Fails 172 XVI Northhaven is Threatened by an Old Enemy 182 xvn xvm. Mrs. Spilwick takes Fright and Leaves 194 Ivy Discovers her Mission and Fulfils it 206 xix. Uncle Jeff Crosses the Bar, and finds smooth Water beyond 217 xx. "The Cottage" Receives its Last Occupants, and Disappears from the Scene 229 xxi.

The Workhouse Receives an Inmate who is not a Pauper 240 XXII. Fred Stewart Reaps as he has Sown 252 xxm. Captain Jack shows how One Good Turn deserves Another 263 xxiv. xxv. The Author Writes a Postscript ... I V Y.

Chapter I. In Which The Reader Is Introduced To Some Of The

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS OF THE STORY. ' Yet earth has angels, though their forms be moulded, But of such clay as fashions all below ; Though harps are wanting and bright pinions folded, We know them by the love-light on their brow." — Anon. HAVE never been able to discover !£ffl\?S) wny they called her Ivy. Certainly »jl«___WK®I '* was not: fr°m an>' likeness to her 42S_13a52s__: real name, which was Elizabeth ; nor was it that in disposition or temperament she was particularly ivy-like or clinging ; on the contrary, for her age, she was wonderfully strong and self reliant. In fact, there was nothing weak or fragile about her. She was a brave, strong, patient, true hearted girl. IVY. 2 Under other conditions she might have been different. Had she been reared in a home of luxury, and taught — as so many girls of the present day are taught, if not by precept, by example — that life is all but empty and meaningless ; that its chief aim and end is to get comfortably settled in a splendid home, and fritter away existence in a giddy round of pleasure ; that work is degrading, and robust health vulgar and unladylike ; that to languish in drawing-rooms, or talk sentiment under whispering trees, is the proper thing ; — under such circumstances Ivy might have developed into a slim-waisted, hollow-eyed, lackadaisical young lady of the most approved type.

As it was, poor child ! she had to learn early in life that for her there were heavy burdens to be carried, and hard and painful work to be done. Life was no bed of roses, no paradise of dreams, but rather a wilderness of stern realities. Others might rest, and never know its luxury, because they toiled not. But she must work. That was almost the first discovery she made in life. And so she grew like a plant on the storm-swept hill. The shocks of life developed the latent energy of her nature, and made her strong to meet other difficulties and fight other battles. Had the conditions of her life been different then, we repeat she might have been different. There are thousands of vain, frivolous, butterfly creatures in the world to-day, who are not altogether to blame for being the insipid things they are.

There are possibilities of greatness and goodness in them — at least there once were — but the conditions of their life left no room for their development, nay, rather checked every noble and upward tendency, cramped every energy, and made them what they are, " cumberers of the ground." But our work is not to speculate on what Ivy might have been under other conditions, but to tell the story of her life as it was. It may be a sad story in some respects ; but life is sad to most people. The romance that begins with a moonlight night and ends with a wedding may be pleasant reading, but the picture of life may be far from true. If I am to tell the story of Ivy Stewart's life, I must tell it as it was, not as it might have been, or even as we would like it to have been. And it is in the hope that this simple narrative may do some good, may make some boy or girl more noble and kind and true, that I resume my pen again to-day.

IVY. I cannot give many particulars respecting Ivy's early childhood. As I stated just now, I do not know even how she came by her name. Had her mother been alive at the time our story opens, she might have enlightened us on this particular question ; but three years before — on the very day little Ned was born — Mrs. Stewart quietly breathed out her spirit into the hands of God, and so Ivy had to be both nurse and mother to the little waif that had been left motherless on the very day he was born. Ivy was eleven years of age then, though she looked older, and would have passed anywhere for twelve or thirteen. The care of her little brother kept Ivy from brooding over her loss. The neighbours who came in day after day to lend a helping hand, came to the conclusion, after awhile, that " perhaps it was a mercy, after all," that the baby was living, otherwise they thought Ivy would have fretted herself to death.

Of course all admitted, except Ivy herself, that it was a great care and responsibility for one so young, but she declared that baby was no trouble at all, but, on the contrary, was the greatest com fort she had. Ivy's father — always a silent man — never seemed himself after his wife's death. He appeared like a man stunned, and went about his work like one in a dream. He scarcely ever noticed the baby. When he came home from his work he frequently ate his meals in silence, and then sat rocking himself in his chair until bed-time. Ivy rarely dis turbed him, though she often longed to put her arms about his neck, and try to comfort his poor breaking heart. Sometimes she caught him following her with hungry, wistful eyes as she moved round the little room, and once he had drawn her to his side, and stroked her long flaxen hair with his hard brown hand, and called her " his brave girl ; " then he closed his eyes, and Ivy saw the tears stealing out under the lashes, and rolling down his bronzed, weather-beaten face, but when she tried to pet him he put her gently aside.

It seemed to awaken memories too painful to be borne. So Ivy did not feel slighted at her father's silence and lack of attention. She knew that in his heart he loved her dearly, and she loved him in return. In silent, unspoken sympathy their hearts went out to each other, and she at least was content. There was yet another member of this little family, and that was Ivy's brother Fred. He was IVY. two years older than Ivy — a fact he took care she should never forget. For some reason there was no sympathy existing between brother and sister, or at any rate, if it existed, it was all on Ivy's side. Fred was imperious and dictatorial, and fond of declaring, with a curl of the lip, that there was nothing in the world he detested so much as girls and babies. Fred had been his mother's darling. She thought that there was nothing in the world too good for her boy, and petted him accordingly.

Everything he did and said was of course perfectly right in her eyes, and though occasionally the neighbours brought stories about what they termed his "carrying on," Mrs. Stewart refused to give them cre dence. That her Fred could do anything wrong was altogether out of the question. " Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it," is an old proverb, the truth of which is almost universally admitted ; and if we add another word and read, " Train up a child in the way he should not go," the proverb will still hold good. Life is generally made or marred at its beginning. " As the twig is bent, so the tree inclines." Mrs. Stewart permitted her affection to blind her to the faults of her boy, or if she saw his faults, she persuaded herself that they were only virtues in disguise.

She never corrected him — she believed that he did not need it. She allowed him to go his own way, and to form what habits and com panions he pleased ; and, unfortunately, his father never interfered. Fred did not improve after his mother's death ; on the contrary, he became, if possible, more way ward and imperious than ever. He scarcely ever had a kind word for Ivy, while he never conde scended to notice little Ned, excepting when he cried, and then only to give expression to the wish " that the young squaller was dead and buried." Fortunately perhaps for the little fellow, he was not aware during the first year or two of his existence that he was the object of his brother's dislike, and was equally unconscious of the unkind wishes that hung over his head. But as the months rolled on, the truth gradually dawned upon him, and at the time our story opens, he seemed to be quite aware of the fact that his brother regarded him with feelings of strong dislike, to use the mildest term.

Ned was a fragile child. " He lacked the power of making bone," the doctors said, and ordered IVY. lime-water to be mixed with his food. The neighbours, in their terse way, said that he was " rickety," and recommended several " charms ; " the one most in favour was " that he be drawn through a split tree, which tree was afterwards to be bound tightly together, so that its separated parts might grow again, and the child's recovery would be in propor tion to the growth of the tree." Ivy, though a child, smiled incredulously while the neighbours spoke of the virtues of the charm. " Must it be a full-grown tree ? " she asked. " Oh yes," they said ; " and an ash-tree into the bargain." " How would you split it ? " said Ivy. " Well, they hardly knew how it was to be done, but they had no doubt a way could be found out."

" How many horses would it take to hold -the tree apart, while Ned was dragged through ? " was Ivy's next question. " Well, they could not tell that ; it would require a great deal of strength, no doubt." " Yes," said Ivy, simply, " I think it would cure him ! " " Oh, you're funning," said they ; who, however, began to see the absurdity of the charm they had been so highly recommending. After that day, however, nothing more was said about charms, but plenty of fresh air and sea bathing was recommended instead. Notwithstanding all the fresh air, however, and all the " doctoring," Ned did not thrive. At the time of which we write he was three years of age, and almost as helpless as an infant, and scarcely heavier than a child of twelve months. But what the child lacked in physical strength, he made up in mental vigour.

" He has too much brain for the size of his body," was a frequent remark of the neighbours, and certainly there seemed some reason for their saying so. It was a great trouble to Ivy that little Ned continued so helpless, but she did not give up hope that he would grow stronger in time. " If he could only use his legs as well as he can use his tongue, I would not care," was a remark that Ivy often made. And yet there were times when she felt that she would not if she could have him other than he was. He was so gentle, and patient, and sweet-tempered, always ready with a smile and a kiss when she came near him, or willing to sit in his little chair for hours on the stretch, if Ivy was busy with her IVY. 10 household duties. At such times Ivy was almost glad that he was a baby still, and she would think almost with pain that if he should grow big and strong, and independent of her care, he might become indifferent to her love, and careless whether she cared for him or no. And Ivy would take him up in her arms, and cover his wan pinched face with kisses, calling him the while her " own little Ned."

And the child would smile back upon her beaming face, and pat her smooth cheeks with his little hand, as if to assure her of his love. So even little Ned's weakness had its compensa tion, and Ivy went about her work day by day with a heart that was light and glad, despite the burden of care and anxiety that was never absent. Each day when the weather was fine and warm she took him down to the beach, and bathed him in the briny waves. And sometimes they would sit on the rocks while the sun dipped down behind the great waste of sea, and wait for the return of their father's boat, or rather the boat in which he daily plied for bread. There was not a neater boat, or finer model, or steadier, in all Northhaven than the Primrose. Young Jack Winchester was the owner, as he was of several of the other boats that sailed in and out ofthe little harbour.

But when old Mr. Winchester, Jack's father, died, it was found that he had left four shares in the Primrose to James Stewart as an acknowledgment of long and faithful service, and Jack was so pleased with his father's action, that he added two other shares on his own account, and so Ivy's father became part owner of one of the finest boats in Northhaven. By the time little Ned was three he was able to distinguish the Primrose from all the other boats in the bay. And, sitting on Ivy's knee out on the rocks, he would clap his little hands when the Primrose hove in sight from behind the headland, and shout " Daddy" or " Captain Jack" at the top of his voice. And so the days sped on and grew into weeks, and Ivy went singing about her work from day to day, all unconscious of the pain that was in store for her, and of the darkness that was coming on apace.

Chapter II. In Which Ivy Is Troubled About Many Things

" She seem'd to feel her mother's hand pass lightly through her hair, And draw it from her brow to leave a kiss of kindness there ; Slie seem'd to view her father's smile, and feel the playful touch That sometimes feign'd to steal away the curls she prized so much." was a still, warm day in June. Little Ned, exhausted with his many at tempts to amuse himself, had fallen asleep, and Ivy had laid him in a corner of the sofa — a huge, antiquated piece of furniture that was certainly more useful than ornamental. Not wishing to disturb him, she had carried a stool outside the door, under the porch, and was soon busy with her favourite work, that of knitting fishing-nets. The cottage in which Ivy lived stood a little back from the village, and higher up the hill-side than most of the houses, for Northhaven, like many another fishing village, was situated in a gap MANY THINGS. 13 between high cliffs, and was sheltered from every wind, except that which blew in from the sea.

As Ivy worked in the doorway this afternoon, she could look away over the tops of the houses at the great stretch of ocean that lay placid as a sheet of glass, and shining like a mirror in the sunlight. Far out on the horizon she could see the fishing boats, with their white sails spread to catch the passing breeze, but so still and motionless that they might be phantom boats slowly vanishing into the light of heaven. From the little harbour there floated up a curious medley of sounds. Childish shouts and laughter mingling with the hoarse voices of the fishermen, and the rattle of tackle as sails were being hoisted or taken in. While down the hill-sides came softly the laughter of the haymakers, who out in the fields that fringed the cliffs, or stretched farther back into the country, were doing their best to make hay while the sun shone.

In the little garden that surrounded Ivy's home the bees droned dreamy music among the fuchsias and honeysuckle, while ever and anon a low moan ing came up from the sea, as if it held a great sorrow in its bosom that could not be repressed. Ivy was in a very quiet mood this afternoon, and B IVY. ■4 did not sing about her work, as it was her wont to do. There were one or two matters that caused her a little uneasiness. In the first place, she could not help feeling a little troubled about her father. He seemed to get more and more moody and silent as the months passed away. She had hoped that in time he would get over the shock of her mother's death, but instead of that, though three years had passed away, he seemed to feel her loss more acutely than ever. Only that morning she had discovered him weeping silently over her picture,, and she knew that he had found no ease for his heartache yet, and she feared the wound would never be healed on earth.

He had scarcely spoken for some days to any one ; even Captain Jack had failed to rally him, and his mates expressed their fears to each other that he was getting wrong in his head. But while Ivy was troubled about her father, she was equally concerned about her brother Fred. He was sixteen now, rather more, and, instead of being a comfort and a stay to them, was a source of continual anxiety. His father had wanted to apprentice him to old Mr. Luke, the sailmaker. But Fred would not hear of it. ANY THINGS. 15 " He be a common sailmaker ? — not if he knew it ! " " Well, then, Fred," said his father, " will boat building suit you better ? " " I should think not," was the reply ; " that would be out of the frying-pan into the fire. Catch me in fustian trousers and a calico jacket. No, thank you."

"Well, Fred," replied his father, mildly, "you have had as much schooling as I can afford to give you. And if you haven't got a pretty good educa tion, it is not my fault ; at any rate, it is quite time that you began to learn how to get your own living." Fred made no reply to this, but pushing his hands into his pockets, began to whistle. " I cannot afford to maintain you in idleness," said his father ; " and if I could afford it, it would be very wrong of me to do so." "I don't see that," answered Fred; "and it is a great shame that a fellow should be obliged to work whether he wants to do so or no." " I don't think it a shame at all," said his father ; " there is nothing dishonourable about work ; but I think it a shame for people to be idle, especially when there is so much work in the world to be done."

IVY. 16 " I wish I could be a gentleman," pouted Fred. "And you can be a gentleman if you like," said his father ; " but I think you have got a very false notion of what a gentleman means ; you seem to think that if a man has plenty of money, and can dress in fine clothes, and spend his time in idleness, that he is a gentleman." " And isn't he ? " snapped Fred. " Not unless he has the qualities of a gentleman," said his father. " What qualities ? " snarled Fred. "Why, gentleness, and kindness, and upright ness," said his father ; " and unless you learn to govern that temper of yours, and speak in a proper manner, you will never be a gentleman, whatever else you may have." " Humph ! you seem to think that any clod hopper may be a gentleman, but I don't." " And the greater the pity, for I am sure you will never be what you so much want to be until you learn that inward qualities and not outward adornments will make a man a gentleman, and that nothing else will."

" Well," said Fred, sulkily, " whal do you want me to be ? " " I have told you already," said his father ; " but IVY IS TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS. 17 you object to both the trades I have named. Now you had better say what you would like to be." "Well," drawled Fred, "I'll never wear fustian, if I can help it." " Indeed ! " was the reply ; " I wonder you con descend to live in this cottage." " And I won't live in it any longer than I can help, either," was the ungracious answer. Mr. Stewart said nothing in reply to that, but he looked sadly at the boy that should have been his hope and pride, and, sighing, turned away his head. For some time after there was silence in the room, except for the tattoo that Fred kept beating with his foot on the floor. His father was too pained to continue the conversation further, and Ivy discreetly said nothing.

At length Fred blurted out, " If I must be something, I think I'd rather be a draper than anything else." " A what ? " said his father. " A draper ! " was the reply, in a very loud tone. Mr. Stewart gave a low whistle, but nothing more was said about the matter for a week. At the end of that time Mr. Stewart said, one IVY. evening, "Well, Fred, are you still in the same mind about being a draper ? " "I'd rather not be anything," was the savage reply, "but, if I must be something, I'd rather be that than anything else." So the upshot was, Fred was apprenticed for three years to Mr. Blake, the only considerable draper in the village. Fred was gratified, in so far as he was not compelled to wear fustian ; but as he hated everything that went by the name of work, his life was not a bed of roses, and his temper, never remarkable for its sweetness, became more vinegary with increase of days and weeks.

He generally endeavoured to spend his evenings by tacking himself on to a set of foolish young fellows a good deal older than himself, who were highly amused at his upstart ways, and who used him as the butt for most of their jokes. In their company he learned to talk slang and to smoke cheap cigars, in which articles most of his pocket-money went. He could even embellish his sentences with an oath occasionally, though he was careful never to swear in his father's hearing. After it was settled that Fred should be a draper, or rather a draper's assistant — for there seemed very little probability that, with his spendthrift IVY IS TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS. 19 ways, he would ever have sufficient capital to go into business on his own account — James Stewart seemed to take little further interest in him.

Ivy was surprised that her father roused himself suffi ciently to hold such a long conversation with him as he had done ; but, when that matter was settled, it almost seemed as if he had but little further interest in life. Ivy thought of all this as her deft fingers plied the shuttle in the cottage porch, and the bees droned in the honeysuckle above her head, and every now and then she heaved a sigh and wondered what the end would be. That Fred was getting into loose ways and adopting questionable habits she very well knew, while his temper, when at home, was almost un bearable. Only that very day, because his dinner was not quite ready, he had pinched her arms until they were black ; while poor little helpless Ned bore on his body marks of his brother's violence and cruelty. She did not like to complain to her father, for she knew that already his weight of trouble, and the sense of his loss, were almost greater than he could bear.

And she felt that she would rather suffer anything herself than add a feather's weight IVY. 20 to the burden that was pressing so heavily upon his heart ; and yet she was at a loss what to do for the best. Just then a weak, childish voice called from the interior of the cottage, "Ivy, where are you ? " " I am here, darling," she answered ; " here in the porch." " Why are you in the porch, Ivy ? " " Because it is cooler here, and the smell of the flowers is sweet ; and you know, darling, Ivy loves to hear the sound of the sea." " Will you let me come to you, Ivy, for I'm awake now, and I love to hear the sea also." " Yes, you shall come, my darling," said Ivy, darting into the cottage to fetch little Ned's rocking-chair, and the next minute the little fellow was sitting at her feet, his little wan face beaming with pleasure.

" I like to be with you, Ivy," he said. " I know you do," she answered, smiling down upon the child's upturned face. Then silence fell between them for awhile ; and Ned sat looking with dreamy eyes out over the great expanse of sea, that shone gloriously in the golden light of the westering sun. Lower and IVY IS TROUBLED ABOUT MANY THINGS. 21 lower dipped the sun, till sea and sky seemed to blend in a golden haze. " Isn't it pretty ! " said the little fellow, at length, pointing westward with his tiny finger. " It's glorious ! " said Ivy, raising her beaming face. " I don't know when I've seen the sky so beautiful or the sea so calm." " Is heaven up there, Ivy ? " said Ned, still pointing with his finger. " Yes ; it's somewhere there, I reckon," she said ; " away, away beyond where the sun sets."

" Behind that cloud, Ivy ? " "Yes; behind that cloud, Ned — behind all the clouds, and where night never comes any more." " Mamma is in heaven, ain't she ? " " Yes ; mamma is in heaven, Ned ; she went there the day you were born." And Ivy sighed, and looked wistfully up into the cloud-flecked sky, as if she longed to catch a glimpse of the fair country of which she had been speaking. " It must be very nice up in heaven," said Ned, innocently. " I should like to go there and see mamma." " You will go there some day, if you are good," said Ivy, a lump rising in her throat. " We'll all go there, I hope." IVY. Ned made no reply to this, but after awhile he said, " Was mamma very pretty, Ivy ? " " Yes, very pretty ; and we all loved her so much." " Did daddy love her, Ivy ? " " Yes, he loved her more than everything in the world besides, and he cried so much when she went away."

" I wonder he don't go to heaven then, and bring her back," said Ned, after a pause. He can't do that," said Ivy. Can't go to heaven ? " questioned Ned. " Yes, he can go to heaven, but he cannot bring mamma back." " Then why don't he go and keep her company, for she must be lonesome." " When God calls him he will go," said Ivy solemnly ; " but I hope that will not be yet for many, many years." " Which way will God call him ? " said Ned. " I don't know," said Ivy. " I don't like to think about it ; perhaps we shall be called first." " I shouldn't like to go without you, Ivy," said Ned, looking thoughtful, and fixing his eyes once more on the glowing sky. " I should fret if you were not with me." ANY THINGS. 23 " Perhaps we'll go together," said Ivy, catching him up in her arms and kissing him.